Favorite Meals of 2012
In 2012, we asked our podcast guests from 2012 “What was your favorite/most memorable meal(s) from 2012?” and hoped for the best. Some sent long answers detailing meals at some of the best restaurants in the world while others simply sent a couple sentences; in both cases we really enjoyed reading the responses and learning about some new places that we need to try. Meals ranged from local dives to home cooked meals spent with family to trips across the country. We’d like to thank everyone who participated in both our podcasts and these articles, hopefully you ate as well as our guests did.
Julia Burke, Assistant Editor at Buffalo Spree and Booze Aficionado:
Okay. So. I’ve had a lot of amazing meals this year (many of them with you!) and it was really hard to pick a favorite at first. There were some that were a series of incredible dishes, and some that were great because of the company, and some that were great because they were different from anything I’d ever had.
But… I have to say that the best thing I ate in 2012 was the corn waffle dessert with ice cream and macadamia nut brittle that Jennifer Boye made for the Nickel City Chefspecial show for Visit Buffalo Niagara. I was judging, and as soon as I tasted it I felt like time had stopped–the way I feel with the best wines I’ve ever tried. The combination of sensual waffle and sweet-salty macadamia brittle and creamy ice cream was just overwhelming; months later, THAT’S the dish I can still taste when I close my eyes. Every bite.
Mac McGuire, Editor at BuffaBLOG and Co-host of BuffaBLOG Radio:
I have been going to Joe’s Deli for years. Having been a North Buffalo resident a few years back, the place had me hooked and I still like to go there for lunch on my days off. Normally, I stick to one of their many sandwiches, but finally this past summer, their special menu offered the dish that had been alluding me for some time: pork belly tacos (pictured above). The tacos came in a set of three, containing a generous slab of the best pork belly I have ever tasted. The fat was just perfectly charred and the meat was so flavorful. The crisp from the cabbage, which should be mandatory on all tacos moving forward (suck it watery lettuce!), provided a nice contrast in texture, and the sweet and spicy sauce was the perfect topping. This may be the best taco in town.
Christopher “Teddy” Bryant, Sous Chef at Lloyd Taco Trucks:
I would say Fuji Grill. I started with a Tokyo green salad (which is always awesome) and then the Tsunami roll that has scallop and crab.
Alan Bedenko, Food Critic at Buffalo Spree and Blogger for Artvoice
I had sort of abandoned Mediterranean food over the past few years – I attribute that to Falafel Bar’s departure from downtown Buffalo. I’m a big fan of Washington-based Spanish modernist chef Jose Andres, and I had been to several of his restaurants in the past, including Jaleo, Oyamel, and the Bazaar in L.A. We spent a few days in D.C. this past summer, and tried out Andres’ Mediterranean-themed restaurant, Zaytinya. Let’s say it reawakened my love for that cuisine. The service was, as always, impeccable, and the food was simply amazing. Small meze plates came out as soon as they were ready and we feasted on fresh, warm pita bread, hummus, lamb, tzatziki, shawarma, meatballs, – all of them delicious, all of them done in a mish-mash of textures and flavors (pictured above). I can’t wait to go back, and in the meantime I’ve rediscovered the Falafel Bar in its new location.
Brian Mietus, Executive Chef/Managing Parter at Bacchus
Mid summer with my wife in the back yard. No kids… Pork Milanese, Panznella salad and Sauvignon blanc.
Bruce Wieszala, Sous Chef at Carmelo’s and owner of COPPA Artisan Cure Meats
My first most memorable meal of the past year hands-down is Le Bernardin in NYC. Chef Eric Ripert has 3 Michelin stars for a reason. I love seafood, and that was by far the best I’ve ever had. Second would be Erbalucein Boston. It’s authentic Italian and a bunch of us had a huge feast there. Third is a tie. My first time at Peking Quick One (their authentic Chinese menu is amazing) and the “Turkey Sandwich” at Bistro Europa. It’s become a yearly tradition. After spending thanksgiving day with our families we all head over to the Bistro and indulge in a sandwich consisting of Ellen’s homemade bread, leftover turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, some naughty bit from a pig (this year was lardo), and a generous shaving of white and black truffles.
Christa Glennie Seychew, Creator of Nickel City Chef and Food Editor at Buffalo Spree
I have the pleasure of eating amazing things on a semi-regular basis, so the bar is high for meal of the year. If I have to really narrow it down, in 2012 I had two food experiences that were especially notable because of their level of luxury, refinement, setting, and service—in addition to the more obvious requirement of being very good in flavor, variety, and preparation.
The first was the tasting menu at Mike A at Hotel Lafayette. It is hard to be a little daring, modern, and comforting all at once, and that is exactly how I would describe Chef Forster’s efforts there. It doesn’t hurt that bar manager Tony Rialssimultaneously knocked my socks off with some of the best food and drink pairings I’ve had in all of my life.
The second would be a 3+ hour lunch at Canoe in Toronto. An excellent experience on so many levels. I really enjoyed myself, and the octopus torchon (pictured above) was divine. I cannot wait to go back.
I think that it is only fair to mention that part of why both of these meals were so good was that I enjoyed them surrounded by people I respect, admire, and enjoy. If you have that, it elevates the entire dining experience, no matter where you are.
Bill Rapaport, Creator of Bill Rapaport’s Buffalo Restaurant Guide
Here are my favorite restaurant meals of 2012:
Bonefish Grill [2/12]: I had an evening special Antarctic Butterfish Monaco, grilled with sauteed spinach, feta, and artichoke hearts, in a lemon-basil butter sauce, accompanied by the evening’s vegetable of sauteed garbanzo beans and spinach in a marinara sauce, and, as my choice of a side, garlic mashed potatoes; it was exquisite, and perfectly proportioned (I hate large portions of food).
Rocco’s Wood Fired Pizza [11/24/12]: …a wonderful, homemade, chicken soup from the specials menu, with noodles, lots of veggies, and big chunks of real chicken—it was as good as the soup my mother made or my wife makes (I dare not say whether it was better!); a burrata with marinated escarole, roasted roma tomatoes, honey-balsamic roasted shallots, and pancetta, on a toasted baguette—I had the soup and the burrata as a light lunch, and the combination was perfect (the burrata was like a bruschetta with maximum flavor)… and [an] ice cream sandwich, described as espresso ice cream sandwiched between homemade pizzelle with a Nutella sauce…delicious.
Also, on a previous visit [9/3/12]: I experimented with an evening special: a salad of warmed (and lightly battered) goat cheese with figs and prosciutto over arugula. It was out of this world! The sweetness of the goat cheese and the figs (two small, quartered figs, plus a kind of fig jam) combined with the savory quality of the prosciutto and arugula made for a wonderful combination.
Emily Koenigsberg, Creator of EmilyBites.com
I always have such a hard time narrowing down to pick a favorite of anything, especially when it’s food-related. One of my favorite dishes that I cooked this year was definitely my mom’s Butternut Squash Soup recipe which can be found on my blog. It’s rich and creamy and comforting and it just tastes like Fall to me. Everyone I’ve made it for has raved about it and I love that it tastes decadent but is secretly healthy and low cal.
As for memorable restaurant meals around Buffalo, my parents and my boyfriend and I discovered Chester’s Cajun Grill in East Amherst together during restaurant week this year and it was so good that my boyfriend and I went back a week later and saw my parents were back too at the same time! Their chili and gumbo (pictured above) are delicious, the clams casino are out of this world and I recommend the Cajun crab cakes or the Whole Hog Southern Pork Platter. It’s a small place but everything I’ve eaten there has been delicious and they have a great selection of flavored vodka at the bar which I always appreciate. It was definitely the hidden gem we discovered in 2012.
Jill Gedra Forster, Owner of Nickel City Cheese and Mercantile
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I think my most memorable meal of 2012 was a lobster bake on the 4th of July on Cape Cod with my closest friends.. followed closely by dinner at Sun International with my son when he ordered a whole fried fish & ate the cheeks & eyeballs … proud mom moment!
Kevin Purdy, Food Critic at Buffalo Spree and Co-Host of In Pod Form
Memorable meals for myself, Kevin Purdy, a citizen of the Free Republic of Norwood:
Wagyu beef tartare, lobster, and buttermilk beet dishes at Ma Peche in NYC, followed by “Birthday Cake” truffles (pictured above) from Milk Bar at our hotel.
Thanksgiving, the first one with my wife and I preparing an entire traditional meal. Spatchcocked turkey that did actually cook entirely in 80 minutes (with delicious, crisp, salty skin), gingery carrots, sage sausage stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and, man, I literally had every burner and both the oven and warming tray rolling at once.
The unplanned visit to the lounge at Mike A’s, in which I had beef rillettes, two whiskey drinks, 2/3 of a French press carafe, and then had to go home and immediately try to sleep at 9:30 p.m., because our house guest had a 4:45 a.m. flight. I had the most surreal, David Cronenburg-esque dreams that night, involving my intravenous delivery of crucial architectural data to a giant, phlegmatic entity that lived under the Skyway.
My first Paula’s Donut experience. I consumed 2.5 donuts in one morning, and had way too much Ethiopian coffee. I COULD SEE THROUGH TIME, DONNIE.
Jason Wulf, Co-owner of Lake Effect Ice Cream
I find myself going back to restaurants for something in particular on the menu. I sometimes have no choice but to satisfy my cravings. If I can choose any one “taste” from last year it has to be the Tom Yum soup at Saigon Bangkok on Transit. I could eat a gallon of the stuff. I’m a huge fan of sweet and spicy and this stuff is exactly that.
Ross Warhol, Executive Chef at the Athenaeum Hotel
My first great meal of 2012 was at the St. Lawrence Market in Toronto. I was shopping for some ingredients for the Iron Chef competition and we just simply picked up a few cheeses, charcuterie, bread, olives, etc and sat at a picnic table outside. It was a beautiful day with the sun out, eating amazing cheeses (that are hard to find back home) with amazing company. I also tried Papaya for the first time, I was pretty impressed. Nothing fancy or over the top but the food was very tasty. So tasty I had to order another udon noodle entree to go!! And of course there is Cantina Loco, I am usually there every Monday digging in to the chips and queso with chorizo (pictured above).
Judging the Nickel City Firing Line competition was fun and also an honor. it was awesome to see some of the areas great talent showcased and boy was it good. I was quite impressed with the food that was put in front of me and found myself clearing every plate. 2012 was really not a big “dining out” year unfortunately compared to years past but I am happy that I have been able to try a few more restaurants in Buffalo and look forward to trying many more.
Mike Literman, Member of the Thirsty Dudes
I had the Jerk Chicken from Dr. Birds Rastarant and now that’s all that I want to eat. I went with a couple friends and we all had our jackets off and were properly sweating, but we didn’t stop. I talked to a dude from Guyana and he said the thing about a good jerk is that you want to stop because it’s so hot but you don’t because it’s so good.
Edward Forster, Executive Chef at Mike A at Hotel Lafayette
So it was really hard to think of my best meal of the year. I’ve eaten a lot of good food, been to a lot of great places. But the one that stuck out to me the most was rather atypical.
I had a picnic on Long Beach (in Canada) in mid November. It was 65. It was the beach that I had grown up on and I was with my lady friend whom I had met there some 14 years ago. We sat on a blanket in extraordinarily warm weather, ate bresaola, cacciatore, rosette de lyon, mt. tam, douceur de jura, and an aged gouda, with a red madiran from France, marcona almonds, dried apricots, and lentil crackers. We sat and watched the most beautiful sunset I’ve ever witnessed and everything was right in the world. So sometimes the greatest and most memorable meal isn’t 5 star dining or corner finds. It’s just great stuff shared with great people on a perfect day.
Sarah Walley, French Macaron Baker
My best meal of 2012 had to be an event my husband and I went to with an underground supper club. It wasn’t just my favorite meal because the food was some of the best I’ve ever had in my life, but that certainly played a part. It might have been the first time I’d ever had a popsicle intermezzo, and certainly was the first time I’ve ever eaten one made with mescal, watermelon and lemongrass (pictured above). It was also filled with an abundance of incredibly luxurious ingredients: a giant white prawn, one perfectly seared scallop, a small terrine of foie gras, winter truffles, and so much more. But what really made the night special was that we were encouraged to sit next to people we didn’t know.
When you sign up for a dinner event without knowing what’s on the menu, you’ll likely be in good company with adventurous eaters. I made some wonderful new friends over our conversations about the foods we grew up on and love now, our favorite restaurants and farmers’ markets, and what we like to cook on any given night. I love how food connects strangers; it’s one of my biggest passions. This dinner carried that concept at its heart, and it was wonderful.
Deborah Clark, Owner of Delish! Bakery and Cooking School
Daniel’s birthday dinner in July; absolute perfection from beginning to end! Lombardo’s… my personal (close to home) favorite and Carmelo’s. I finally made it there last weekend with some friends and every one of us loved our meals!
Ben Tsujimoto, Digital Content Coordinator at Buffalo.com
My favorite meal has to be the media tasting we had at Mike A’s. As someone who doesn’t get to eat upscale very often, I felt like I was eating like an (undeserving) king — all we were missing were golden goblets and a roasted whole pig that stared blankly across the table. Anyhow, the #9 Grade Australian Purebred Wagyu Beef Strip Steak (pictured above) was the most tender and flavorful piece of meat I’ve ever devoured, and I’m still saving my change to go back and order it again someday.
While the steak was the highlight of the meal — which was expected considering its unusually high price-tag ($88 for 12 oz.) — I can’t say enough about the richness of the veal loin Oscar, the texture of the seared sea scallop and the chance to munch on some oxtail. The flavors were surprisingly simple and well paired — nothing seemed out of place, and the entirety of the experience was unlike any I’ve ever had at an eating establishment.
Chris Dorsaneo, Co-owner/Executive Chef of Lloyd Taco Trucks
My Pick is Lola in Cleveland, Ohio. Beautiful bar, open kitchen and a well trained staff working in sync. Small, interesting, and seasonal menu. Really blew my socks off!
DJ Cook, Sous Chef at Sample Restaurant
In the ultimate irony for a chef, my wonderful girlfriend happens to be a vegetarian. So on our trip together in Chicago this past spring we dined at the Green Zebra, a great vegetarian restaurant in West Town. It was a five course meal of contemporary and sophisticated vegetarian dishes and expertly prepared by Chef Shawn McClain and his kitchen. The highlights of the meal were a Hen of the Woods Mushroom Pate and a simple yet an unbelievable dish of an organic farm egg, smoked potato puree, and country sourdough. That was the best food I ate all year.
Rudy Watkins, Head Brewer at Community Beer Works
There were a lot of great meals but what stands out more that any one meal are 3 first bites. The first bite of those ricotta doughnuts (pictured above) at Bistro Europa (after which I giggled audibly), the first slurp of the wheat noodles at Kaydara (after which I sighed happily) and the first bite of a pork Bahn Mi at Saigon Sandwich in San Francisco (after which I ran back to the hotel & evangelized about its awesomeness.)
Adam Kern, Founder of My Buffalo Shirt
I’ve been thinking about this one a lot since you sent me the message and nothing really stood out immediately. Then I was thinking that cant be, there is so much delicious food in Buffalo. I realized that working so much this year on the business meant that I wasn’t able to go out as much. However, here are the few items I really enjoyed in 2012:
The WTF burger (peanut butter and bacon jam burger) from Roaming Buffalo, it’s an odd combination that makes a really good flavored burger. I may have been obsessed with this over the summer. Roccos traditional flat bread pizza. It was something about the mozzarella and fresh basil that made it really tasty. Also the drinks at Vera, they have some amazing cocktails in a great atmosphere.
Jason Draper, Member of Thirsty Dudes and Bassist for Failures’ Union
I’m going to not go with a meal, but the food I’ve eaten the most this year, which are these soft pretzels from Philly. I’ve found myself in the “City of Brotherly Love” a fair amount of times this year and each time I made sure that come midnight I was standing 816 Washington Ave, aka Center City Pretzel Company. This is really nothing more than a garage door for a warehouse that is opened at the stroke of midnight and you can buy soft pretzels as they come off of the conveyor oven for dirt cheap. I order obscene amounts and eat them for days, even after they have gone stale and they are borderline inedible. They are my addiction, and whenever I’m in Philadelphia I know I will be waiting for my piping hot pretzels like a junkie waiting for his sweet, sweet fix.
Beth Manos Brickey, Founder of Tasty Yummies and Co-owner of Hero Design
This is hard for me to choose, since I love food and eating so much, and I feel like I could have thousands of varying answers to this question for a variety of different reasons. I personally wanted to base this answer more around the full experience of the meal than just the food itself.
Given that, I would say my absolute favorite meal of 2012 would have to be Thanksgiving dinner with my family. With our big cross-country move on the horizon in early 2013, we decided as a family to just have dinner with the immediate family instead of the large crew it normally is. As nice as having a large extended family is, it doesn’t leave a lot of visiting time with my parents as they have hosted it the last few years (usually 20 people or more, which isn’t even half of the family) and inevitably my parents spent most of the time cooking, cleaning, prepping, etc. It’s generally a mad house and hard for everyone to just relax and enjoy each other.
As Mark and I have the last few years, we picked up a pasture-raised turkey this year from our amazing farmer Pierre from Sojourner Farm in Olean, a few days prior. This is always by far the best turkey I have ever had. Then of course, we made lots of delicious seasonal and traditional sides to compliment it, many of the vegetables this year came from our CSA with Porter Farms. I spent most of the day in the kitchen with my parents cooking, prepping and readying all of the dishes and components, laughing and drinking. Every single bite of everything was absolute perfection. A day and meal I will never ever forget.
Chris Tayler, Chef/Owner of The Roaming Buffalo
For me it’s all about the excitement of your surroundings along with the meal itself. Whether I’m at The Shack near Lime Lake or at Mike A’s, I have to have an exciting environment to enjoy my meal. That said, my most memorable combination of meals were from the Ontario Food Trucks at the Eat St. AwesTruck 2012 awards. From El Gastrónomo Vagabundo’s pork belly tacos to Blue Donkey’s gyros, they all blew me away.
James Roberts, Executive Chef at Park Country Club
Back in April I got very lucky and got the opportunity to attend the Next: elBulli Dinner at Next Restaurant in Chicago run by Chef Grant Achatz, from whom I have had numerous career changing meals over the last five years. This one was no exception.
Twenty six courses in all, all paired with a cocktail, wine or beer, was more of a museum piece that a dinner. It was a compilation of dishes from the over 20 year history of elBulli Restaurant in Girona, Spain, that had closed its door earlier the year before. I had dreamed of working and dining at elBulli in Spain for most of my young career and even traveled to the site as a side trip on a vacation to Spain just to lay in the driveway and soak in the atmosphere. The meal itself was amazing; texture, flavors, presentation, quality of products, the pairings, and showcased Ferran’s whimsical sense of humor in each dish.
Maybe more amazing was the fact that they duplicated the dishes of one of the most influential chefs of our generation and did so without changing it to suit their tastes. As I said, more of a museum piece than a dinner, but a fantastically flavorful and mesmerizing museum piece. Just unbelievable… and I got to share it with three of my favorite people who appreciate the food and the homage just as much as I did. Best meal of 2012 by far I would say…here’s to 2013 being better!
Nina Barone, Creator of BuffaloFoodie.com and Restaurant Critic for Buffalo Spree
In July, my husband and I were in Paris, exploring the city and being gluttonous with its amazing cuisine. High off a tour of Pierre Gagniare, Alain Ducasse, and a plethora of macarons from Pierre Hermé, we headed to L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Étoile (133, avenue des Champs Elysées 75008 Paris).
Prior to visiting, I didn’t know Chef Joël Robuchon designed the restaurant to allow guests a behind the scenes/in the kitchen glimpse at the preparation of their meals. Sitting atop high chairs at a gorgeous, “in the round,” bar-like dining area, we watched with awe as the chefs and line cooks made magic on plates. I loved it. This was the only restaurant where we didn’t have the tasting menu because there were so many dishes we wanted to ensure we tried. Could you blame us, especially with smelling and seeing everything as it’s being made?
My favorite of the first batch of dishes was le crabe royal en salade à l’avocat et mozzarella di Bufala (king crab salad with avocado and mozzarella), which tasted as lovely as it looked. It was impossibly fresh. My top pick of the fish and meat courses was le black cod avec une mousseline de daïkon au yuzu (the black cod with yuzu mashed daikon). I was immediately drawn to the description of it. (I blame Nobu for getting me hooked on black cod with masterful Japanese preparation.) The acidity of the citrus-laced daikon and the savory sauce coating the black cod played perfectly together. For dessert, our server recommended we not leave without experiencing le soufflé. The flavor of the day was blueberry. It was a stunning shade of royal blue and sweet in the most unadulterated way. Our favorite though, was l’amuse-bouche of warm foie gras pudding, topped with Parmesan foam. It was unbelievably creamy.
As with all our favorite Parisian restaurants from this trip, beautiful little dishes kept arriving throughout the meal. (Read: incredible bonus courses!) I adored the tray of madeleines – yes, it was an entire tiny tray! – followed by a delicate coconut mousse, served with banana and passion fruit sorbet. The mousse sat in a small puddle of rum. I literally couldn’t remember all the courses, even after walking back out on to the Champs Elysées. We were in a haze from all the food – not just that day, but from the whole week. Perhaps this meal became my favorite because it built off the unforgettable experiences at the previous two restaurants, and the atmosphere of the restaurant was fun and exciting, but it was the perfect final piece in our ultimate Parisian dining trifecta.
Phil Dzikiy, Co-host of In Pod Form and News Editor for iLounge.com
My best meal of 2012 was at Cure, a Pittsburgh restaurant specializing in locally sourced, homemade cured meats. We had a delicious salumi starter, and my main course was the aptly titled Gluttony — pork belly, rump, boudin noir, mustard-sage sausage, mashy peas, bacon, red eye gravy, pommes frites, and a decadent smoked cheddar custard. Game over.
My favorite Buffalo-area restaurant dish of the year was San Marco Ristorante’s Gnocchi del Barone, perfectly pillowy gnocchi in Gorgonzola cream sauce. Also worth noting — even though I don’t drink beer, I’ve still made multiple trips to Blue Monk this year … for the food, especially the Duck Frites.
Mike Andrzejewski, Chef/Owner of Seabar, Cantina Loco and Mike A at Lafayette
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Here’s my top food experiences from 2012.
Joel Robuchon’s two restaurants in Las Vegas. L’ataliere: Casual tasting style, sat at food bar and talked with cooks. It was an 18 course extravaganza, small plates, big flavors great presentation and well balanced. Well worth the $550.00 for 2 people. Joel Robuchon Restaurant: Probably the most beautiful and luxurious restaurant I’ve been in or seen, anywhere in the world. Bread service was worth he trip alone, 20 types of artisan breads and rolls, served french style by the bread waiter. Normandy butter was flown in three times a week. Then we had dinner (six courses). Highlights for me were a veal blanquette and sea urchin. Both Sherri and I had 6 courses and each of us had a personalized menu. After dessert, they brought over a chocolate trolley with probably 50 types of chocolates, caramels, petits fours, macaroons. etc. Second best coffee I’ve ever had too. Dinner for 2 was $700.00 and I don’t drink! However, there is a reason Chef Joel Robuchon has more Michelin Stars (28) than anyone on Earth… HE DESERVES THEM !!!
Hamura Saimin: the best noodle shop ever, located in Lihue, Hawaii. The restaurant is in an ugly industrial back alley near the airport. Great ramen style noodles served with extra spam by ancient Filipino ladies. Really great food and we always meet someone really cool from somewhere else in the world. This dinner was a little cheaper, $18 for two (with free refills). Purple Pig (Chicago): Great rustic food, Spanish influence, great cheeses. The best thing there – Crispy pig ear salad with arugula, jalapeno pickles, and fried egg. I’m gonna steal this prep! Dinner for 3 was only $80.00 and got us 2 hours worth of eating great food. Daniel Boulud’s Bistro Modern(Miami): The charcuterie presentation that Chef Jarod created for us made everyone in he dining room stop in there tracks when it came out of the kitchen, and the Boudin Noir was the best part.
Closer to home: Chef Edward Forster (my Chef at the Lafayette restaurant) made a lot of good food but there are three things that really stood out: Vietnamese Style scallops with fish sauce and finger lime, Onion Soup Croquette (pictured above), and his latest Foie Gras with Concord Grape. Dinner at Saigon Bangkok reaffirmed why I love Asian food. Ellen Gedra’s Sticky Toffee Pudding at Bistro Europa. Oxtails from Gigis!
Michael Bernhardt, Creator of Dinner with Danger
My most memorable meal of the year was easily Dinner With Danger at Rue Franklin. The atmosphere is inviting and warm, and they started us off with some hors d’oeuvres and a few twists on classic cocktails. Chef Kley aimed to present us with a traditional French cuisine experience. With a delicate poached seafood sausage and duck confit, his mission was aptly accomplished. The food was incredible!
It would have been enough to make that the most memorable meal of the year for me, but what sealed the deal, was when I was on my way to the lavatory, and found one of my customers choking, performed the Heimlich maneuver, and saved his life. That was a first for me, the customer was also a friend, and I will remember that meal forever!
S.J. Velasquez, Multimedia Content Coordinator at Buffalo.com
I ate some strange things this year, and most of them came from urban China — my favorite meal of 2012, included.
My usual diet excludes beef and pork, but I got a little adventurous the last few years and have been trying out meat dishes I’d otherwise avoid. Unbelievably to me, my favorite meal of the 2012 was a pork sandwich — a “Chinese hamburger,” to be [not very] precise. The real name of the dish roughly translated to the English alphabet is rou jia mo. It’s essentially braised pork tucked inside a crispy “bun.” (see above) The bread reminded me more of a New York City bagel or a hot pretzel than a hamburger bun. The meat is tender, greasy and flavorful.
I’ve been told that Xi’an is the Chinese hamburger capital of the world, which makes sense, because I ate them almost every day I was in Xi’an. They’re available just about everywhere, including dingy alleyways. I found that food carts in alleys serve the best rou jia mo, in my opinion. I really cannot compare Chinese hamburgers to anything I’ve eaten in America, not even hamburgers. I, for the record, hate hamburgers.
Chris Hitchcock, Chairman of the 2012 Taste of Buffalo
My Favorite meal was at Francescas Restorante in South Buffalo and it was also my favorite restaurant find for 2012! It’s an Italian restaurant in the heart of the Irish section of South Buffalo and in a beautifully restored building. I had the Eggplant Fra Diavlo, two stuffed Hungarian banana peppers sandwiched between freshly panko breaded slices of eggplant, over Angel hair pasta in their signature red wine sauce, topped with melted mozzarella. It was also the 2012 A Taste of Buffalo Pat Sardina Memorial Award for Best Comfort food!
Nelson Starr, Musician and Well Known Local Foodie
I would have to say that, for me, the most interesting meal this year occurred when I went to film our Buffalo. For Real Episode at Sun Burmese. I went through the door expecting things to be good but…not THAT good! Their Own No Koksware was superb and exceedingly flavorful, their Curried Beef was even better (and far better than any Indian joint’s in town) but my favorite new taste was their humble but ever exotic (green) Tea Salad. Regrettably, I had never tried tea salad before and it was one of my favorite taste experiences in recent years. It’s just so different and unique, flavor-wise, than anything I had tried in recent memory. It was also prepared perfectly, as was everything on the table.
Recalling this meal slash episode filming at Sun, I fondly remember how every dish I tried blew me away – and I knew immediately that, not only myself but, Buffalo would be a much better place because of it. I also prayed and hoped this new arrival would survive the always perilous first year. Justifiably so, they have done much better than mere survival and have become a mainstay of the Buffalo foodie scene!
Erik Bernardi, Co-owner of Lake Effect Ice Cream
Hands down the one thing that stands out in my mind was a dish at Vera this past summer. While my wife Michelle, and Jason and his wife Heather all ordered pizzas, I ordered an amazing duck breast and gnocchi dish that had a red wine glaze and perhaps some prosciutto. Can’t say for sure what the greens were, but what is certain, is that I had no business eating the whole plate yet found myself nearly unable to stop short of scraping every last drop!
Jennifer Boye, Executive Chef at the Mansion on Delaware
I had the opportunity to to attend a dinner on Rich and Bonnie Tilyou’s farm this fall. The menu featured foods indigenous to the Deep South and we enjoyed watermelon moonshine, roasted suckling pig and the best fried chicken (pictured above) you’d ever want to eat. Having a meal like that, outdoors on a beautiful fall day and on such a lovely farm, is an experience you don’t soon forget.
Dining Rumor, Former Anonymous Local Restaurant Blogger
Kuni’s “I Love Shellfish” — I don’t have any food phobias, but I don’t generally go in for a lot of Asian cuisine. However, since it was my dining partner’s turn to choose a restaurant, I ended up at Kuni’s. I don’t hate sushi, but I won’t do backflips for it either. And the appeal of saki is a little bit lost on me. But damn if the “I Love Shellfish” dish wasn’t a revelation: perfectly seasoned, perfectly cooked shellfish in a bowl of simple gingery broth. The crab legs were the highlight for me.
Bistro Europa’s Bolognese — Bolognese has become a bit trendy over the last couple years — I suspect because of its deceptively simple ingredients. It may have been one of my first meals of 2012 in fact — it was definitely memorable enough to be one of the first things to come to mind when I think about what I ate and where last year. We’d ordered it for the table at the suggestion of a couple of my dining partners, and I didn’t immediately trust the decision. Bolognese? What’s so special about that? Everything, as it turns out, when you’re eating it at Bistro Europa.
Rue Franklins’s Traditionally prepared rabbit — To be honest, I don’t remember the exact preparation or name of the dish — just that the rabbit was incredibly tender. This qualifies as the first time I’ve actually eaten rabbit that wasn’t on the plate as an “ingredient” of some sort. It was some time after the interview I did with Cheryl and Corey, and my first visit to the Rue to dine, and the over all experience was just fantastic. The restaurant was quiet, the place was classy but unpretentious, and the service was outstanding. I’d gotten a great bourbon recommendation from our server, Richard, who I understand is a favorite of the clientele (with good reason). My dining partner and I finished the meal with a pastis cocktail on the elegant back patio. In all categories, it gets top marks.
Ken Kerr, Former Owner of Bertha’s Diner
I don’t know how my “Best Meal” fits in because it was the first big meal I cooked for my family at home after selling the diner. It was terrific, we loaded up the smoker, had a couple of grills going, the beers were cold and the sun was out. Along with the brothers and sisters we had a couple little ones running around, some medium sized ones in front of the TV or iPhone, a Great Grandmother and a Great-Great Aunt in attendance, some cousins and some friends. This was something that had been missing from our lives for quite a while. We could get together when we were owners but there was always a rush to everything and something always occupying our minds. When we finally had the opportunity to just sit and relax and soak up the family it was a divine treat! Better than we could have hoped for. Done right owning a restaurant is like having three families…your own, your staff and your customers. And while it is nice to have three families the time restrictions of owning a great diner means that while the latter two families get your attention and the best out of you, your own family always gets the least of you
Michael Khoury, Guest Host for Eat It Up and Donnie’s Best Friend/Food Mentor
Oh man… this is a lot of pressure, Donnie. But here goes. Two meals come to mind. One was at one of the best restaurants in NYC and the other was at a hotel breakfast buffet. I’ll be as brief as possible.
WD~50: I’d heard about Wylie Dufresne’s science lab of a restaurant in the Lower East Side. I’d heard about molecular gastronomy. I’d heard about these 12-course, expensive tasting menus that were popular in NYC. Well one day my roommate and I decided to experience one for ourselves. And “experience” is definitely the appropriate word here. Each course had purpose, creativity, and amazing flavor. Each plate was just the right size and beautiful to look at. Each course was brought out at the perfect time (I’d never thought about “pacing” at a restaurant before). There was always more than meets the eye in the dishes. Some plates even had a sense of humor. But it all made sense and it just fit.
Some courses were as simple as preparing lamb (a meat I’m VERY familiar with) the right way, and it was the best bite of lamb I’ve ever had. Some were wackier… a poached egg served with an edible “shell” made from some kind of safe-for-consumption plaster, a classic everything bagel with cream cheese and salmon that was actually not a bagel at all but made from ice cream, or a “foie-lafel” sandwich with foie-gras stuffed falafel balls. It’s one of the only times I remember a dinner really making me smile. I haven’t had anything like it since.
Breakfast buffet at the JW Marriott in Lima (pictured above): Yep. As in Lima, Peru. For some reason, my company thought it would be a good idea if I went to Peru for a week. Don’t worry about the details. Just know that I couldn’t wait to eat as much ceviche and lomo saltado as I could fit, while drinking as many pisco sours as I could handle. But for breakfast, we’d grab a bite off the breakfast buffet. It was full of all sorts of eggs, sausages, tamales, fish, vegetables, and cold cuts, all of which tasted alright. The sausages came in 3 varieties, identifiable by color: red, white, and then black, which was blood sausage. Well it was the blood sausage that I unexpectedly fell in love with. No matter what else I piled on my plate, I couldn’t get over the flavor of this ugly looking sausage and went back to it repeatedly. I’d had it once years ago and it had tasted nothing like this one. This one had a deep flavor, well seasoned, a little spicy, and kinda oily too. I still think about it occasionally because it was so delicious and so unique!
Derek Neuland, Member of Thirsty Dudes
Even though I did a lot of traveling this year, my favorite meals were actually eaten here in Buffalo. The Margie Meal (made vegan with seitan) from Amy’s Place, and the shitake mushroom sushi roll from Kuni’s were my favorites. As far as beverages go,Flying Bison Sarsaparilla in a growler from Village Beer Merchant was easily one of my favorite sodas this year.
Pete Cimino, Co-owner of Lloyd Taco Trucks
My best dish was 2 pieces of kanpachi belly sushi at Cultured Pearl restaurant in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. It literally melted in my mouth. It had a super creamy, buttery texture and were topped with finely sliced fresh scallions. It tasted like classic toro on steroids.
Steve Gedra, Executive Chef/Owner of Bistro Europa
Alright, here goes nothin. My first memorable meal of 2012 was at Ballyhoo’s (Key Largo, F). It’s a crab and seafood shack on mile marker 98. They do all you can eat Stone Crab for like $45. I think crab may be my favorite seafood but, like most of the things in my head, that’s an ever-changing debate. The cool thing about Stone Crab is that it’s one of the few animals that you can take a piece of its body and the mofos grow it back! Talk about sustainable seafood! Could you imagine whacking a ham off of a pig and it grows it back?!!? That sounds like my version of heaven. So I suppose that’s my first memorable meal.
My second one was definitely when I was in Boston with Bruce Wieszala and Dave Murphy. We ate at my boy Chuck Draghi’s joint Erbaluce in Bay Village. There was like 12 of us including some of my old friends that I always love hanging out with. Chuck went super omakase family style and crushed our faces with wine. We sat there for about 4 hours eating and catching up. Chuck and Joan are such great hosts. His boar rack with grape mosto always kicks ass and all of his pastas are insane. He’s a freaking Level 75 Mage. The next night we went to my other friends’ restaurant The Gallows on Washington St in the South End. If we stayed in Boston, this is where we’d work. It was my 1st time eating there so I was pumped. There was a bunch of us again and the uber omakase/ family style barrage was once again on. Their poutine is ridiculous and the Longshoreman’s Platter was insane.
Eating my 1st sandwich at Jill’s then brand-new Nickel City Cheese and Mercantilecertainly sticks for obvious reasons. I’m super proud and happy that she achieved a goal she’s been seeking for so long. The sandwich was good, though I can’t recall what it was. It was clearly the context that was memorable in that situation.
A few pig roasts happened too! The first one was smoked T-Meadow pig tacos that we cooked on Webers in front of the bistro on the day of the St. Patrick’s Day parade when it was 80º for the first Charcuterie Club. Every dog that walked by those grills had to be drug away by their owner. The next one was a 60-ish pound T-Meadow pig that we roasted at my P’s house for Ellen’s birthday. Sumo suits, bourbon, pigger, and a ton of friends was a great day. After that was one Carmelo did at his joint for like 18 of us so we could all welcome our new pig processor. All of the usual suspects were there: Seychew, Tilyous, James and Connie…… We sat around for about 4 hours shooting the shit, eating, and drinking. It was awesome. James made bao for us to put precious packets of porcine pillows in. Killer.
The first time I went to Peking Quick One is up there for sure. Once again, there was like 12 of us (I hope you’re sensing a recurring theme. It’s just as much or more of an element of who you’re with as it is the quality of food or service. At least for me.) We laid into that menu hard. The weird half-cooked sweet and sour potatoes, ma po tofu, cold pork tripe, man….. I’ve had about 3 more of those types of experiences there with various groups. The last of which was this past Monday.
James Roberts’ crawfish boil (pictured above) was once again amazing. I was so hungover I think I drank 5 gallons of Hurricane juice before I felt just ok. There’s nothing like 20 awesome people hanging out in a backyard slugging high alcohol beverages and hunched over a picnic table knuckling mud bugs and corn and mini wieners. I love that.
Thanksgiving with my family was amazing, but the friends coming post-dinner for what has become a tradition was always killer. Painted Meadow turkey, T-Meadow lardo, cranberry, stuffing, gravy, and sliced black and white truffles on Ellen’s white bread. How do you beat that? YOU DON’T. I’m sure there’s more, but that’s what I got for now. Cheers!
Joe Lane, Chairman of the 2013 Taste of Buffalo
So many great choices, it was hard to decide. Believe it or not I love Rack of Lamb. It can be pricey though. The best bang for your buck, tender and sweet was at Panos on Elmwood. Both the food and service is always great. I would love to see them at the 30th celebration of The Taste of Buffalo this summer!
Rich Tilyou, Owner of T-Meadow Farms
Here is the info on the most memorable dinner of 2012, it was filmed for a Travel Channel contest at Carmelo’s Restaurant in Lewiston. Bruce and Carm went all out and they did a great job.
Franco Kroese, Owner of Franco’s Pizza
One of my favorite restaurants in Buffalo is Sinatra’s! Everything on the menu is delicious but lately I’ve been enjoying a meal that I was lucky enough to have made special for me. My favorite meal has been their grilled halibut over spaghetti with olive oil and garlic! It is a great combination!!
Tom Burtless Favorite Meals:
While Donnie and Alli have taken me with them to try a bunch of new restaurants in the past 3 years, I usually just stuck to my boring favorites for my regular meals (Jims Steak Out, Mighty Taco, quick homemade stir-frys, etc). This past year I finally experienced a “break out” and started to try new cuisines. From eel and octopus to foie gras, my pallet has grown considerably. On top of trying new things this past year, I still have a few favorites that will always be at the top of my list; Blue Monk‘s Blue Monk Burger, Shish Kabob Express‘s Beef Schwarma (pictured above), and Lloyd‘s pork burrito all remain some of my favorite foods in Buffalo. Since 2012 was also my first full year as a 21 year old, I was able to enjoy the fantastic cocktails being crafted at both Mike A‘s Loungeand Vera Pizzeria. With that, I was also able to finally enjoy a steak sandwich from The Pink.
Beyond my favorites above, here are 5 new food experiences that I really enjoyed this year. Hopefully I’ll have plenty more in 2013.
Bistro Europa – I’ve never had lamb before this year, and Steve Gedra’s gyro was an awesome introduction. Everything was perfect….portion size, the rich flavor of the lamb, the toasted pita and the yogurt sauce.
India Gate – A friend pushed me to try Indian for the first time, so we took India Gate up on their restaurant week offer. The result was extremely spicy and extremely delicious. It is most certainly a restaurant and cuisine that I want to revisit in 2013.
NoNoo Ramen (now closed) – After seeing my first Nickel City Chef challenge this past year, Donnie and Alli took me to NoNoo Ramen. We sat at the kitchen bar and had Chef Chris Van Every prepare a couple dishes for us. He preceded to hand select some on and off menu items. From eel to fried octopus, it was a big day for me and my experience-lacking pallet.
Banh Mi Boys (Toronto) – This was my second time ever having Banh Mi and it was a much better product compared to the two dollar sandwich I had previously. All of the ingredients of my grilled pork Banh (pictured above) mi were fresh and delicious. The experience has also led to an increased desire to try more Vietnamese cuisine (when I feel adventurous…or when Donnie is forcing me into it).
Alli Suriani’s Favorite Meals:
Buffalo Eats has been around for about four years now, but I feel like we’ve been doing this forever. While I am still not the most adventurous eater and still have many classic favorites that I fall back on (spaghetti with red sauce, wings, Kraft mac ‘n cheese-but only with the spiral noodles, obviously), my food experiences have grown exponentially since I graduated college. Donnie and I get asked all the time what our favorite restaurant is or what the best thing we ever ate was. We eat so much and so well that it’s hard to narrow it down just one or two places or meals that we can call our ‘favorite.’ I will admit that when we travel outside of Buffalo (NYC, Toronto, etc), I realize there is a lot that we still don’t have (like a great dim sum restaurant for example). But in the four years since we started this blog, we have seen the food scene in Buffalo grow to the point where we can now get Ethiopian at multiple restaurants around the city. And the chefs we have in this area are pretty amazing and are really starting to expand their reach with new restaurants and cuisines. Based on the bits and pieces of rumors we’ve heard, I only see great things in the future of Buffalo’s dining scene. So, below are a few of my favorites from 2012….
Everything from our last NYC trip – Donnie and I hung out for in NYC for 4 days in April and literally spent 90% of the time eating. I had the best ramen of my life at Ippudo, an amazing steak dinner at Peter Luger’s, and almost died of joy in Georgetown Cupcakes. On our first night we made sure to get a few (or more) orders of soup dumplings at Grand Sichuan International (you can get them at multiple places around the city). If you’ve never had soup dumplings, you truly have not lived. They are one of my favorite food items, period. And you cannot find them, other than maybe on a specials menu, in Buffalo. And then there was Pomme Frites. Glorious, glorious Pomme Frites. Simply stated, the best french fries you will ever eat. If there is nothing else that you try on a trip to NYC, try Pomme Frites, you’re welcome.
Marco’s Italian Restaurant: Penne and Peas – I don’t care, I love red sauce Italian-American food. Give me a bowl of spaghetti parm and a big ‘ole meatball and I’m good to go. While my favorite red sauce restaurant will always be Tina’s in Hamburg, Marco’shas slowly crept up as a very close second. The Penne and Peas entrée that Donnie and I fought over shared back in August is something I could eat once (or twice) a week. Creamy sweet tomato sauce with generous chunks of sausage mixed throughout, it was perfectly delicious.
Joe’s Deli: Short Rib BBQ Beef Tacos with House Made Kim Chi – Joe’s Deli is a favorite of many Buffalo foodies. You can’t go wrong with any sandwich that they offer, but their specials menu is where it’s at. Over the summer, one of those specials was a Short Rib BBQ Beef Taco and holy shit was it amazing. Just writing about it makes me want to go there right now.
Brick-N-Motor Food Truck: Korean Pork Belly Tacos – If you have not yet read our post about the Brick-N-Motorfood truck in Rochester, you should right now. While we have our share of awesome food trucks here in Buffalo, what the guys from Brick-N-Motor are doing is nothing short of fantastic. Their ever-changing menu is quite impressive and when Donnie and I took an hour drive out to Rochester a few weeks ago to try them out, we were not disappointed. Specifically, the Korean pork-belly tacos that they had that day blew me away. I had to stop myself from getting seconds (we had to save room for other trucks) and we made a point of going back up to the truck after we ate to tell the guys how amazing the food was. Next time you are around the Rochester area, do yourself a favor and track them down.
Bistro Europa: Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese – Bistro Europa is one of my favorites but we sadly don’t get to eat there as often as we’d like. The last few times we’ve been there, it has been for lunch. And it was on one of those visits a few months ago when I first ordered their grilled cheese. But this isn’t just a standard wonderbread with cheddar grilled cheese, no no, this baby has gruyere and double-gloucester cheese on huge thick slices of fresh house-made bread. If you’ve never had Ellen Gedra’s bread (or desserts for that matter), I really feel sorry for you. That bread is magical and, when dipped into the creamy tomato soup on a cold Buffalo day, it’s heaven. From the first time I tried it, I was in love. Best lunch of 2012, hands down.
Seabar: Every meal I’ve had there this year – Is that a cop-out? Whatever. Literally every time I eat at Seabar, I am reminded why it one of my favorite restaurants in Buffalo. Everything is delicious and I always have a hard time deciding what to order. You can’t go wrong with any of the sushi options (especially the spicy tuna or miso caramel crab roll), the seafood tacos, Bourdain’s Last Meal, or any of the specials (last week we had the Jonah crab and mushroom bisque and it was stupid good). It was voted the best restaurant in Buffalo, and with good reason.
Carmelo’s Restaurant: Celebration Dinner – We went to Carmelo’s this fall for a celebration dinner with my parents. Not only is the actual restaurant gorgeous and the chef and his sous chef are two of the best in Western New York, but the meal we had that night is something I still dream about. Between the charcuterie board, spicy pork meatballs, potato gnocchi entrée and the chocolate peanut butter semifreddo dessert, I was so thrilled with the meal and happy my parents could experience it with me. And there’s of course the added bonus that many of the food items at Carmelo’s are locally sourced, including from our favorite local farm, T-Meadow.
Lake Effect Diner: Eggs Benedict and House-made Sausage – I love eggs. Especially when they are in benedict-form. I’ve had eggs benedict all over the city…Shango, Acropolis, Bertha’s…they all have their own great versions. I used to frequent Lake Effect Diner back in my Canisius College days, when it was open 24 hours and we would go at random times of the night. Somehow, I never tried much of their breakfast options, until this year. A few weeks ago I tried their eggs benedict for the first time and destroyed the whole thing in minutes. And their house-made sausage (using local meat) has the most amazing sweet/spicy flavor that I only wish I could recreate in my own kitchen. Highly recommended.
Donnie Burtless’s Favorite Meals:
To say it was difficult to compile my list of favorite meals from this last year would be an understatement. Between traveling, judging events, private dinners and just our normal restaurant trips, I ate some pretty amazing food in 2012. At the end of every year, I take a look at the restaurants and meals we’ve had and wonder how we’ll ever be able to top it. This year is no different. If you add up my meals at local restaurants and in other cities (Chicago, NYC and Toronto), I think I’ve managed to eat at nearly 90 different restaurants. I went through every single one of them (along with various special events) and decided on my top meals of 2012. It was hard work eating that much delicious food, but someone had to do it.
Mike A’s Tasting Menu – I decided not to rank my favorite meals from this year, but if I had to, this would be #1. When I received my email invitation for this sneak preview dinner back in June, I was beyond excited. I went into this meal expecting the best and I was still blown away. I made sure to finish every plate, drink every cocktail and savor every bite. I had two near religious experiences, the first was biting into the Foie Gras Torchon (pictured above) and the second was when I finally tried the Waygu steak. I actually closed my eyes when I tasted both of them, something that has rarely happened over the course of 4 years. The evening was the perfect combination of excellent food, wonderfully paired cocktails/wine and awesome conversation with good friends.
Omakase II: Provenance – The first Omakase dinner was excellent, a night of cocktail pairings and complex dishes that would compete with any fine dining restaurant in Western New York. But the second Omakase dinner was much more low key; the food was served “family style” and the experience made a lasting impression on me. We spent the day on a gorgeous farm and were served some of the best suckling pig you’ll find in the country. We shared bourbon with friends (including my first taste of Pappy) and enjoyed the best fried chicken and collared greens I’ve ever had. Seriously, if there’s one specific food that I’ll dream about from 2012, it’s probably the fried chicken from Omakase II. I just hope that 2013 brings many many more Omakase dinners and that I get the privilege to attend as many of them as possible.
Peking Quick One – Don’t get me wrong, the food was really good, but a large reason that this meal is included as one of my favorites was because of the overall experience. Walking into a dive-y Chinese restaurant, being the only English-speaking customers and ordering off a “secret menu” that is normally reserved for regulars is really cool. The food was definitely worth the hassle too. While not that “weird”, the orange beef and double cooked pork were both near perfect and dishes that I would love to order again.
Ippudo (NYC) – Alli and I ate a lot in NYC this past April; 22 different restaurants and shops over the course of 4 days to be exact. We had some amazing donuts, bagels with lox, great VPN pizza, steak at Peter Luger’s and tasty burgers from Shake Shack. But it was our first meal at Ippudo that not only set the tone for the trip, but was also the best thing I ate that week. The pork belly bun at Ippudo is divine and definitely that best version I’ve ever had (including Baohaus and momofuku Noodle Bar). On our next visit I plan on just ordering them for myself and not sharing. The ramen broth was smooth and creamy, packed with flavor and topped with all sorts of delicious goodies. We won’t revisit too many restaurants on our next NYC trip (there’s still too many to try on our wishlist), but we’ll definitely find ourselves back at Ippudo in 2013.
Publican (Chicago) – Hanging out in Chicago this past September with my 3 best friends was a blast. We ate and drank our way through the city over the course of a long weekend. We had some pretty good meals on that trip, but the best was clearly at Publican. My friend Mike and I decided to indulge our inner carnivore and really go all out. That meal consisted of chicken liver pate, blood sausage, beef heart, pork belly, Benton’s ham and even some grilled chicken to balance things out. The star of that meal was the blood sausage; the combination of it’s rich flavor and incredible velvety texture won my heart. It didn’t hurt that the design of the restaurant was absolutely gorgeous or that their beer menu was pretty fantastic as well.
Elm Street Bakery – I love everything about Elm Street Bakery. In fact, it’s on the list of reasons of why I would consider moving back to the southtowns. The location is homey and welcoming. I love sitting at the long bar and watching the bakers cook pizza in the wood-fire oven and sip on a nice regional beer on tap. Their breads and sweets are some of the best in the area, the pizza is pretty damn good and their cafe has some straight up fantastic options. Their Jambon Beurre Baguette is such a simple thing of beauty; ham and really great butter on one of the best baguettes in Western New York.
Honorable Mentions: Ellen Gedra’s Sticky Toffee Pudding lived up to the hype; the Banh Mi at Nickel City Cheese is without a doubt the best in the area; my Mom’s homemade Pho was near perfect, the Bacon at Peter Luger’s was stupid good (to quote my wife); Lloyd’s el Gordo Taco would be the only thing I’d order if it was on the truck every day; I’m slowly becoming addicted to the Miso Carmel Crab Roll at Seabar; my new hangover breakfast is the Giambotta at Sophia’s; the desserts at Carmelo’s are worth the trip to Lewiston alone; and the T Meadow dogs at Spar’s will make you forget about Sahlen’s.